By Kimberly Moa
(Essex, NY) - The very idea of “off-grid” living conjures up some off-the-wall imagery – cabin in the woods, bearded man with garage arsenal, dueling banjos and a rafting trip.
At the very least, the idea of “roughing it” stuck out in my mind after being invited by fellow Boston University graduate journalism student, Jennifer Oles, to photograph a story about several families living “off the grid” in upstate New York.
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Driving through the clouded-gray countryside, a gnawing sense of isolation lulls the conversation and then incites another about boredom and loneliness.
Our road-side motel seems eerily familiar and I can’t help but check the office walls for signs of taxidermy.
The town of Essex, on the northeastern tip of the Adirondacks in upstate New York, sits on the edge of Lake Champlain.
With a population of less than 700, Essex is an unlikely home to a growing community of vibrant young “pioneers” who are challenging the status quo and raising their budding families off a utility “grid” which fuels much of the developed world.
Their homes, built from a hodgepodge of gifted and found materials, using little means and experimental know-how, are powered by a mix of solar panels, batteries and propane.The green-speak pervasive in their dinner conversations is not unlike that you’d hear in one of the more progressive suburbs of any major metropolis.
The close-knit community hosts potluck dinners, bluegrass jam sessions, yoga classes and many of its members participate in the local CSA.
While many of their half-completed homes may seem a bit shanty-like at a glance, sitting down for a meal in one of them, one would would be hard pressed to find much of a difference between the lives of these off-the-mappers and the rest of the grid-tied masses.
The close-knit community hosts potluck dinners, bluegrass jam sessions, yoga classes and many of its members participate in the local CSA.
While many of their half-completed homes may seem a bit shanty-like at a glance, sitting down for a meal in one of them, one would would be hard pressed to find much of a difference between the lives of these off-the-mappers and the rest of the grid-tied masses.
The only notable one, perhaps, is that the coziness of these homes, is not just limited to the amount of space.
Kevin & Cena
Photos by Kimberly Moa
Audio by Jennifer Oles
Jeremy & Cynthia
Photos by Kimberly Moa
Audio by Jennifer Oles
Kevin & Cena
Photos by Kimberly Moa
Audio by Jennifer Oles
Jeremy & Cynthia
Photos by Kimberly Moa
Audio by Jennifer Oles
